University of Michigan Salaries Explained (Simply): What You Need to Know

If you’ve ever walked through the Diag in Ann Arbor or caught a game at the Big House, you know the University of Michigan (U-M) is basically a small city. But here's the thing: it’s a city where almost everyone’s paycheck is a matter of public record. Honestly, whether you’re a student wondering if that PhD is worth the grind, a prospective employee, or just a curious taxpayer, digging through University of Michigan salaries can feel like trying to drink from a firehose.

The university is a massive employer. We’re talking over 50,000 people across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, plus the enormous Michigan Medicine health system. Because it’s a public institution, Michigan is required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to pull back the curtain on what it pays. But the raw data doesn't always tell the whole story.

The Big Picture: Who's Making What?

Most people go straight for the "big" numbers. You know, the football coaches and the top-tier surgeons. And yeah, those numbers are wild. But for the average person working in an office or a lab, the reality is a bit more grounded.

A Look at the Averages

Based on the latest 2025-2026 data disclosures, the "typical" salary at U-M hovers around $63,000 to $66,000. But "average" is a tricky word here. You’ve got people making $35,000 and others clearing $1 million.

If you look at the middle of the pack—the median—you'll see a lot of variation by job type:

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• Administrative Assistants: Usually landing between $45,000 and $60,000.
• Research Scientists: These vary a ton based on funding, but $55k to $95k is a common window.
• IT and Data Tech: This is where the money is growing. Senior analysts and "Expert" level engineers are often clearing $110,000 to $140,000.

The "Hidden" Top Earners

Everyone knows the President makes a lot. In fact, U-M’s incoming president, Kent Syverud, is set to start with a base salary of $2 million, with potential bonuses that could push his total compensation toward $3 million. That’s record-breaking for the school.

But look past the C-suite. The real high-earners are often in the Ross School of Business, the Law School, and Michigan Medicine. It is not uncommon for a "Clinical Professor" in a specialized medical field to out-earn the university’s executive deans.

Faculty vs. Staff: The Growing Gap?

There’s a bit of a "not so quiet crisis" happening on campus lately. If you spend any time on the Ann Arbor subreddits or talking to staff, you’ll hear about the 3% cap.

For the 2024-2025 cycle, faculty saw an average merit increase of about 4.2%. Meanwhile, staff raises averaged around 2.9%. It doesn't sound like a huge difference on paper, but over five or ten years? It adds up.

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Many staff members feel that while Michigan is one of the wealthiest universities in the world, the lower-end salaries—some starting around $36,000 to $40,000—barely keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living in Washtenaw County. Honestly, living in Ann Arbor on $40k is a magic trick most people can't pull off anymore.

The Professor Tier List

Not all professors are equal in the eyes of the payroll department.

1. Full Professors: These folks are at the top, often averaging $150,000 to $230,000 depending on the department.
2. Associate/Assistant Professors: Usually in the $90,000 to $130,000 range.
3. Lecturers and Adjuncts: This is the "gig economy" of academia. Many lecturers make significantly less, sometimes in the $50,000 to $70,000 range, despite carrying heavy teaching loads.

Where the Money Actually Comes From

A common misconception is that all University of Michigan salaries are paid for by your tax dollars or student tuition. That’s actually not true.

The university uses something called "General Fund" (GF) vs. "Non-General Fund."

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• General Fund: This comes from tuition and state appropriations.
• Non-General Fund: This comes from research grants (like the NIH), clinical revenue from the hospitals, and private donations.

When you see a researcher making $200,000, chances are a huge chunk of that is paid for by a federal grant they won, not by the tuition check you wrote last August.

Why Transparency Matters (and Its Limits)

Michigan’s commitment to transparency is pretty cool because it lets you see the "Market Premium." This is why a Computer Science professor makes more than an English professor. The university has to compete with Google and Meta for that CS talent, whereas the market for Shakespeare experts is... well, mostly other universities.

However, the "Salary Disclosure Report" published every November only shows Base Salary (FTR - Full-Time Rate). It doesn't always show:

• Overtime: Big for nurses and trade staff.
• Bonuses: Common for athletic coaches and executives.
• Summer Salary: Many professors get paid extra for research done in the summer months.
• Benefits: U-M has a legendary 2-for-1 retirement match (they put in 10% if you put in 5%). That's basically an invisible 10% raise.

The Regional Reality

If you’re looking at these numbers and thinking they look high, remember where U-M is located. Ann Arbor is the most expensive city in Michigan.

• Dearborn and Flint: Salaries at these regional campuses are often lower than the Ann Arbor counterparts for the same job titles.
• Remote Work: Post-2020, more U-M roles are remote or hybrid, which has started to decouple the salary from the local zip code, though the university still benchmarks mostly against other "Big Ten" schools and top-tier research institutions.

Actionable Insights for Navigating U-M Pay

If you are looking to get hired or are currently working at the university, here is how you should actually use this info:

1. Use the "UM Salary Info" Database: Don't just look at the PDF. Use searchable tools like umsalary.info to find your specific department. If you're interviewing for a "Program Manager" role in the School of Information, look up what the current Program Managers there are making.
2. Negotiate Based on the "Market Lead": Michigan usually aims to be in the top tier of the Big Ten. If you see that Ohio State or Michigan State is paying more for your role, use that as leverage.
3. Don't Ignore the 2-for-1 Match: When comparing a U-M offer to a private-sector job, remember the retirement match. A $70,000 salary at U-M is effectively $77,000 because of that 10% contribution. Most private companies stop at 3% or 4%.
4. Look for "Instructional" vs. "Clinical": If you're in the medical field, "Clinical" tracks often have different pay scales and bonus structures than purely academic tracks.
5. Watch the Reclassification: U-M often updates job families. If your responsibilities have grown, look at the salary ranges for the next "level" up (e.g., moving from "Intermediate" to "Senior") and bring that data to your annual review.

The reality of University of Michigan salaries is that they are a mix of public service and high-stakes competition. It’s a place where you can find a solid middle-class life or a million-dollar career—as long as you know where to look in the data.